Relatives of those who died in the Guwahati-Bikaner Express accident on Thursday were in a state of shock as they rushed to the Jalpaiguri morgue on Friday.
The death toll rose to nine on Friday, with over 70 injured.
The Guwahati-Bikaner Express 15633 started from Bikaner in Rajasthan and was heading to Guwahati in Assam via Patna when 12 coaches derailed near Maynaguri in Jalpaiguri district at around 5.15 pm on Thursday.
Maynaguri was not one of the train’s 34 stoppages and the Bikaner Express was merely passing Jalpaiguri at the time of the incident.
Subhas Roy, a daily labourer in Rajasthan, was coming to Coochbihar from Rajasthan to see his 2-month-old daughter. His brother said, “After two boys, he was so happy to have a daughter in the family. He was coming specially to see his daughter. ”
Roy’s family saw the news on TV and later found out he was one of the deceased.
Ranjit Burman was returning from Rajasthan as his 2-year-old daughter died. He had called on Thursday afternoon. His wife Anima said, “I could not take his call then. From evening, I was trying his number. Later, we found out he had passed away.”
Another passenger, Shanta Devi, 70, had gone to Joypur as her brother had passed away. She died in the accident on her way back.
The Railways have announced an ex gratia payment of Rs 5 lakh to the next of kin of those killed in the accident, Rs 1 lakh to the grievously injured and Rs 25,000 for passengers with simple injury. President Ram Nath Kovind and Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu too expressed grief over the accident and wished speedy recovery to those injured.
Read all the Latest India News here
Comments
0 comment